Vitamin B-3 is a water-soluble vitamin and so needs to be replenished daily. According to
Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute, the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin B-3 for adult men is 16 mg daily; for adult women, it's 14 mg daily. Vitamin B-3 is found in the light meat of chicken and turkey, salmon, tuna, peanuts, whole-wheat bread and coffee. You can also get it in fortified cereals or by taking a multivitamin or B-complex supplement. Vitamin B-3 is found in two forms: niacin and niacinamide. It is only the niacin form that helps lower your cholesterol.
Vitamin B-3 and Cholesterol
Like other B vitamins, B-3 helps your body convert the food you eat into energy by burning carbohydrates and metabolizing fats and protein. In the mid-1950s researchers discovered that niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, also serves to lower blood cholesterol levels. Over the next few decades, scientists refined this knowledge, discovering that the vitamin raises your HDL, or "good cholesterol" while lowering your LDL, or "bad cholesterol." While high doses of niacin alone may provide this benefit, it is most effective --- and can be taken in smaller amounts --- when combined with other cholesterol-lowering therapies. Consult your health-care provider about using vitamin B-3 as a supplement.
Other Niacin Benefits
Besides helping you metabolize your food to produce energy, vitamin B-3, along with other B vitamins, is essential in keeping your skin, eyes, hair and liver healthy, as well as maintaining your nervous system. Niacin aids in relaxation, which may translate to a good night's sleep. This may also contribute to your healthy cholesterol levels. That cholesterol-lowering benefit is good for your cardiovascular system, reducing your risk for heart disease or strokes. Dietary niacin, meaning what you get from the food you eat, may decrease your risk for Alzheimer's; there's no evidence the supplementary form provides the same benefit.
Niacinamide Benefits
While the niacinamide form of vitamin B-3 will not affect your cholesterol levels, it is often the preferred form to take if you are suffering from pellagra, a condition associated with vitamin B-3 deficiency. This is because niacinamide doesn't cause the "flushing" that niacin does. Niacinamide is also often recommended if you have osteoarthritis, according to National Institutes of Health online medical encyclopedia Medline Plus, because it may make your joints more flexible and less painful, reducing the amount of pain medicine you need to take. Niacinamide is also the preferred form for those with insulin-dependent or type 1 diabetes, because it appears to offer some protection for cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Niacin also provides this benefit, but it can raise your blood sugar levels, too, so talk to your health-care provider about using supplementary vitamin B-3.
Vitamin B-3 Risks
Dietary vitamin B-3 has not been found to be harmful, but supplements are prone to side effects. Besides the flushing --- redness, itching and a tingling or burning sensation --- that niacin supplements sometimes cause, high doses of vitamin B-3 may lead to liver damage or stomach ulcers. The Linus Pauling Institute lists the tolerable upper intake level for niacin at 35 mg daily for adults, with amounts for children and teens varying from 10 to 30 mg, depending on age. Vitamin B-3 may interact with antibiotics, tetracycline, aspirin, blood thinners, blood pressure medications, alpha-blockers, cholesterol-lowering medications, diabetes medications and nicotine patches. As always, talk to your physician about this or any other supplement you may be considering.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Niacin; Jane Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; June 2007
- Spine Universe; Vitamin B-3; Susan Spinasanta; February 2010
- Orthomolecular Medicine News Service; Niacin (Vitamin B-3) Lowers High Cholesterol Safely; September 2005
- Medline Plus: Niacin and Niacinamide (Vitamin B-3)
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B-3 (Niacin); Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD; June 2009
